Understanding and treating motivation difficulties in ventilator-dependent SCI patients

Motivation for spinal cord injury rehabilitation is a difficult management task for clinicians. Ventilator-dependent quadriplegics experience conditions which are particularly likely to lead to motivational problems. The following article provides a theoretical model with which to understand patient motivation. The model conceptualizes patient motivation as a patient-rehabilitation environment fit problem and employs concepts from social learning theory to facilitate understanding and intervention with such difficulties. The model is applied to two ventilator-dependent rehabilitation cases. Recommendations for clinical practice are provided.